1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seat coverings and article holders in general, and more particularly to a multi-hanging position transportable article holder for multi-type seating.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of personal articles when attending a sporting event at a stadium or spending a day outdoors at the beach or park makes for a more enjoyable experience. A camera to capture moments, sunscreen for sunny outdoor games, or a blanket for chilly night games all add to the enjoyment of the experience. However, a safe and convenient place to store these personal items at such places is a problem. In addition, transporting personal articles in a carrier that must be held with one or both hands constrains the user's hands. When at a stadium, a spectator prefers to have both arms free to balance and guide himself when traversing the steep stairs and narrow rows to reach his seat. The user may require both hands to be free for important needs such as to hold a handrail with one hand and to guide a child up or down stairs with the other hand.
The seating provided in public settings, though often durable and economical, are invariably hard, uncomfortable, and prone to extreme temperatures. Examples include stadium chairs made from hard molded plastic, stadium benches made of unyielding metal, and park benches made of wood that have been exposed to countless seasons of sun and rain thus warping and splintering the seats into uncomfortable and dangerous surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,250 to Chapman et al. discloses a transportable under seat storage device for stadium type chairs that are individually separated from the each other. A handle allows a user to carry the device in a similar fashion to a suitcase. The device has a holding device that goes over the sides and front of a stadium seat bottom. A support device used to hold articles is attached underneath a seat bottom to the holding device. An optional cushion could be used on top of the holding device. An extendable metal tray, used to hold items, slides along metal rails attached to an interior surface of the support device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,599 to Nordstrom et al. discloses a combination backpack and seat cushion. A sleeve member interconnects a padded member and a storage compartment. Backpack straps allow the device to be worn as a backpack and a handle allows the device to be carried with one hand. The device fits over a stadium type chair in one embodiment and fits over a stadium type bench in another embodiment. The padded member rests atop the surface of the seat and the storage compartment is located below the seating surface. Both embodiments require the use of a plurality of straps to secure the device onto the seat and to prevent the storage compartment from hanging to the ground. Keeping the storage compartment off of the ground is advantageous as the ground in stadiums is often dirty and sticky.
Unfortunately the prior art has several flaws. Such flaws include compatibly attaching only to individual, separated stadium type seats and not to bench type seats, or requiring a different embodiment to attach to each type of seat. In addition, the use of straps to secure the device onto a seat is either impossible or cumbersome. A seat may be constructed such that the seat back and seat bottom are a single unit or the seat back and seat bottom are positioned so closely together that straps cannot be used to go around the backside of a seat bottom and thus prevent the device from being secured to the seat. When the use of straps is possible, securing straps that go around the back or sides of a seat bottom places the user in an awkward position. The user must kneel down, reach above and below the seat bottom, attach the straps together and finally cinch the straps tight so the device is properly secured. The process is then repeated for one or more additional straps. If the user is unable or unwilling to secure the straps, the result is that the compartment portion of the device will sag to the ground and the weight of the under seat portion of the device will pull the device off of the seat and onto the ground.
Easy cleaning has been lacking in the prior art of combination stadium seat covers and article carriers. The prior art teaches a device having metal rails and a metal sliding tray. Machine washing for this embodiment is impractical because both the metal rails and metal sliding tray can be damaged by the motions of the agitator in the washing machine.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages there exists a need for a multi-hanging position transportable article holder for multi-type seating that can be attached without the use of straps to a stadium type chair or bench seat or virtually any seating surface that provides seat cushioning and storage of personal articles stowed underneath a seat and elevated above the ground.